The present invention relates to a longitudinally movable operator's compartment assembly which permits complete access to all parts of a front end loader for easy servicing, repair or replacement.
The invention may be used in connection with a front end loader of the type having a material handling bucket supported for pivotal movement about a transverse axis on the forward end of a boom structure. The conventional front end loader disclosed herein includes an elongated body having an engine compartment adjacent the rear end thereof and an operator's compartment mounted on the body. In machines of this type, some form of cab or hood structure is provided for enclosing the operator's compartment. A problem arises because the cab structure prevents free access into the internal working parts of the machine for maintenance and repair work. Further, other parts of the operator's compartment also prevent complete access into parts within the body.
To overcome one of these problems, the cab or hood structure may be rotatably attached to the loader for permitting rotational movement of the cab structure about a horizontal axis that is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the machine. The cab structure may then be rotated to an out-of-the-way position which will allow the operator access into the operator's compartment for maintenance or repair work. However, rotation of the cab structure is difficult because of its weight and this does not permit access into the parts of the machine that are located beneath the operator's compartment. Thus, there has been a need for an easily movable cab structure or a movable operator's compartment which would permit complete access to all the machine parts for servicing, repair or replacement work.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a cab structure or an operator's compartment that may be easily moved out of the way to permit complete access to the underlying machine parts within the loader frame for servicing or repair. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a structural inter-relationship between the cab structure or operator's compartment and loader base frame such that a simple unit may be readily manufactured without the use of special tools, fasteners or materials.